Let's offroad / mountain bike / mtb / ride dirt

was told about a swinley forest mtb facebook group today

http://www.facebook.com/groups/SwinleyforestMTB/

looks like quite a few people use it for organising rides

^^ So you're saying that video isn't representative of a typical weekends riding at Swinley Forest?

James, I am dissapoint.

That's where I get the Swinley information I post here. If you're interested in the trail updates then this is worth joining as well:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/444395922287125/

^ joined.

I can skive this week. And I will actually turn up. Thursday / Friday anyone?

Have already suggested a Friday ride on Facebook

Friday it is then.

I was just reading about a casualty being airlifted from Swinley today. Hope none of you guys broke yourselves out there?

6 broken ribs after clipping a tree with bars on the Deerstalker trail. Info from one of the dude's mates from another forum.

Ouch! ( again ) Having only cracked 1 rib before, that must be all sorts of fun.

Of course, I continued to ride ;-)

Still... glad it's nothing worse.

A tree had bars on it?

I have had a few tree hugging moments on Deerstalker so can see how that could happen.

I'm moving to the Isle of Wight, there's a new MTB center there, please come visit someday!

More reason not to buy those 3ft wide bars for your casual XC jaunt.

I'm moving to the Isle of Wight, there's a new MTB center there, please come visit someday!

Yep will do - I've meant to get some MTBing in over there for a while. It's supposed to be pretty good.

http://wideopenmag.co.uk/news/16997/new-trails-for-south-wales-afan-bike-park

Rowan Sorrell rides Afan's new trail.

Looks sweet. How long until it's ruined by noobs creating new lines all over the shop though. Cwmcarn is a waste of time now due to people thinking they're good enough to ride the trails even when they're trawling through the bushes.

I liked Cwmcarn, but the opening climb goes on forever when you're running a single front ring. Has anyone rode the new Surface to Air at Aston yet? They've had to do some remedial work within only a couple of weeks of opening due to massive braking bumps appearing mid corner. But they've also had 5x the normal number of riders, so hey ho. I'm gonna head over there once the weather's better, Aston in the wet is treacherous.

I prefer Coed Y Brenin myself. Though the last time I went there, the Dragon's back trail was still called the Karrimor.

I havent been to CyB for about 15yrs. Nant yr Arian by Aberystwyth is nice but the black route is a bit boring. Gwydr forest was good fun last time I was there.

I think I first went there about 10-11 years ago on a wet November weekend. I seem to recall that it was a steep learning curve for me :-)

Once I am recovered from my op.. I'll be joining you for a trip out to Swinley.
Btw the 29er first outing at Afan Forest was amazeballs. Plenty of stacks, scratches and welsh mud.. it was cold and wet too.

Bah, my front caliper is leaking fluid.

Caliper is SLX. Quick google indicates they can't be repaired. Upgrade to XT/R or Hope? Who makes bomb proof brakes?

Seriously tempted by going all retro and using BB7s.

Hope.

the most recent XT brakes are great, previous ones not bad at all either

today's ride at Swinley with Howard plus Simon who we met on the Swinley facebook group

http://app.strava.com/activities/31317081

Seriously tempted by going all retro and using BB7s.

Do it.

Do it.

Tempted - with some Gore sealed cabling they'd be pretty good. And I get how they work whereas hydraulics = still a bit voodoo.